Fairytale on 5th Avenue
by Margo'sShed
Summary: "What if I told you I am incapable of tolerating my own heart?" - Virginia Woolf . Connie and Jacob. A Christmas love story.
1. Chapter 1

**Fairytale on 5th Avenue**

" _What if I told you I am incapable of tolerating my own heart?"_ \- Virginia Woolf

Connie and Jacob. A Christmas love story.

* * *

Her hair was pinned at the nape of her neck, a perfect curl of a bun that had begun to work its way loose. She could feel it now, the slivers of metal against her scalp – the hair grips that held it up growing ice cold.

She looked up at the sky, the stars glimmering, fading and then glowing bright, shuddering and then all at once going out. And she thought how in just 9 hours time, on the other side of the world, Grace might look up to see the same stars as she was seeing now.

She exhaled, and her breath bloomed white from her lips, up, up, spiralling into the sky like slowly fading ribbons.

Today had been a long day. Today had been the sort of day that there could never be too few of – the sort of day when even the most menial of tasks could, and would, go wrong. If she hadn't stopped to re-pin her hair, if she hadn't misplaced the patients notes for only the briefest of moments, if she hadn't had to go back for her stethoscope...would the little girl in RESUS bay 2 lived?

She closed her eyes and drew in another breath, the chill of the air within her lungs made her shiver and she tightened her arms about herself. She could feel her kneecaps trembling beneath the sheer black fabric of her tights, and she wished for the hundredth time that day she had a reason to go home.

"I'd have thought you'd know better."

Jacob's voice made her tense. She opened her eyes, blinking against the glare of car headlights from the car park opposite the hospital entrance.

"Standing out here in the cold..."

She could sense him, she could feel him near her as she so often did. She cast an eye over the city scape before her, and the scattering of trees about the car park, branches rattling like bones in the wind with the flash of leaves like tattered flags kindling in the gloom.

"Oh...since when did knowing better stop anyone..."

She cleared her throat, her words were all but a whisper in the dark. Never, she thought, are voices so beautiful as on a winter's evening, when the night almost hides the body, and they seem to issue from nothingness with a note of intimacy seldom heard by day.

She turned to face him, allowing her arms to fall to her sides. She looked up at him, the white of his shirt almost luminous and stark in contrast with the darkness of his skin.

His arms were folded across his chest, she could see the flex of muscle beneath the rolled up sleeves and she thought fleetingly of his injury.

"How is your arm, is it..."

She allowed her voice to be carried away by the wind, she could barely form the thought, she could barely bring herself to care, on a night like this, when the stars were so very far away...

"You did well today."

He said quietly, ignoring her question. Instead he held her gaze when she looked back up at him, and she couldn't help but smile – just the twitch of a smile, the ever so slight downturn at the corners of her mouth – the exhausted, dwindling spark behind her eyes igniting one last time.

She shook her head and glanced away, looking into the distance, the lights of the city seeming to pixelate before her.

"You thinking about Grace?"

How was it that he always knew just what she was thinking...?

She pursed her lips against her smile and drew up her shoulders, wrapping her arms about herself once more.

"I'm always thinking about Grace."

She whispered.

-.-

 **I received a private message on here asking if I might be able to write an on-going story about the relationship between Connie and Jacob...so here it is! The first instalment. I hope it's enjoyed. Please review and let me know what you think, and whether you would be interested in reading more.**

 **Many thanks. xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

Outside it snowed. And slushed. And froze again; and blackened; and broke bones and sprained ankles, as the treacherous streets caused shoppers to slide, the elderly to fall. Bare branches grew brittle and fractured in the cold snaps, while vicious icicles dangled blade-like over unsuspecting walkers.

Inside there were road accidents and chilblains. Cold sore blisters and encrusted noses. Muffled heads and cloudy speeches, and the deep racked coughs of all the stages of bronchitis.

"Alright boss?"

Jacob watched her as she drew nearer, she was walking quickly, a Styrofoam coffee cup held in one hand. At his words she smiled – just the hint of a smile – one that turned the corners of her lips down and glittered behind her eyes.

"Good morning, staff nurse Masters."

The way she spoke his name...he bit the flesh of his bottom lip and propelled himself away from where he rested against the reception desk, reaching out to hold the double doors open just before she got there.

She glanced up at him as she passed by, but instead of thanking him she merely moved out onto the ward, knowing full well that he would follow her.

She stopped briefly on her way across the ward to collect a stack of patients notes before making her way to her office, and, with one hand holding her cup of coffee, and the other holding the notes, she waited, looking with an amused tilt of her head to Jacob who stopped before her.

He pushed his hands into his pockets, and a smile danced behind his eyes, he had no intention of opening the door for her and she knew it.

"Would you mind-"

She let her words trail off, though she narrowed her eyes, the green-blue of the sea before a storm. Never in his life, he realised—had he seen such a heartbreaking colour.

"If you say 'please'..."

He pushed his hands deeper into the pockets of his jeans and rocked back on the balls of his feet.

"Oh..."

She pursed her lips, screwed up her nose and glanced into the middle-distance just over his shoulder.

"Come on, I know you can..."

She exhaled in response to his words and looked back at him. She gave a defeated shake of her head and turned her attention back to the door.

"Please."

She said quietly.

"Look at me."

He was enjoying this just a little bit too much. She arced an eyebrow and pushed her tongue against her cheek. She contemplated trying to open the door with her elbow, or perhaps her knee...but the indignity of either would surely be worse? She sighed again and met his eyes.

"Please."

She repeated the word on her exhale, breathy and low, her head tilted down though her eyes were raised to his, and he realised in that moment that he hadn't quite prepared himself for the effect that one word uttered from her lips would have on him.

"Thank you."

She said pointedly as he opened the door and she passed through it into her office.

"You're very welcome."

His breath caught her hair as she moved by him and he watched as she set the patient notes down upon her desk and turned to face him. She raised the coffee cup to her lips, tipping it up to draw out the last sip. He felt the wince of something deep within his chest, a deep green scratch of jealousy. It wasn't that he wanted the coffee, no. That wasn't it. Rather, he wanted to be the coffee: he envied the dark drink it's chance to taste those lips.  
It was just simple, he thought.  
He just wanted to kiss her.

-.-

More soon. Thank you ever so much for the reviews so far, please feel free to leave another! It's lovely to hear from whoever is reading this...

I promise a longer update next time xxx


	3. Chapter 3

_**A little note to say...**_

 _ **I haven't given up on this story! I often receive messages asking if I have given up or abandoned a story – the answer is always no! I will never leave one of my stories unfinished! Even if I haven't updated in a while It's still there in the back of my mind, I'm still writing down ideas and odd bits of dialog to include.**_

 _ **I am ever so sorry that sometimes it takes a while for me to update, especially if I have said in a previous chapter that I will update again soon. I have two children (4 and 3), and a career to juggle as well as writing these stories, so often it's difficult to find the time to sit down and write. But I'm still here :)**_

 _ **If you ever want to give me a gentle shove to update a particular story (or to shout at me to tell me to bloody well get on with it) you're more than welcome!**_

 _ **And finally...most importantly THANK YOU for reading them, THANK YOU for all of the lovely, lovely messages and reviews and THANK YOU for being so patient.**_

 _ **xxx**_


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